Isaiah 63-66

The Bloody Warrior God and the Ever-Loving Lord (Isaiah 63-64).
True and False Christians (Isaiah 65-66). Judgment and Salvation, Blessing and Curse are sharply contrasted in Isaiah 65-66:

1. True and false religion (65:1-6). God's initiative and man's effort.
2. True and false people of God (65:7-12). Often they look the same, but their destinies are quite different. Israel's problem (2-7).
3. True and false servants of God (65:13-16). Contrasting destinies (11-16). The owned and the disowned (1-16). A patient and compassionate God (1-16).
4. Ultimate blessing for the true children of God (65:17-25).
5. True and false worshippers (66:1-6). Worshippers welcome and unwelcome. A final diatribe against ritualism. The sharp contrast is between:
   
   1. God's word and man's way.
   2. Humility and arrogance.
   3. True worship or habitual ritual.
6. Triump and disasster (66:7-24). There will one day be a clear demarcation between Blessing, Abundance and Salvation (Zion triumphant) in sharp contrast to Wrath, Anger and Judgment.
1. Hope and abundance (7-14). Suddenly, joy for Jerusalem.
2. Judgment and hope (15-24).

1. The Solitary Avenger, the Anointed Conqueror (63:1-6)
2. The Good, Ever-Loving Father and Lord (63:7-64:12)
   
   1. Remembrance/recollection (63:7-14). Rehearsing the theological significance of the Exodus, and the elements of God's character: kindness, compassion (63:7) and love and mercy (63:9).
   2. Prayer/plea/petition (63:15-64:5)
   3. Confession of helplessness/hopelessness (64:6-12)

John Oswalt

• [The Divine Warrior] (63:1-6).
• [God's Love and Man's Rebellion] (63:7-14).
• The complaint (63:15-19).
• The petition (64:1-5).
• The contradiction (64:6-7).
• The petition repeated (64:8-12).
• God's continuing revelation (65:1).
• Israel's problem (65:2-7).
• A remnant of the faithful (65:8-11).
• God's promises remain (65:12-16).
• [New heaven and new earth] (65:17-25).
• A final diatribe against ritualism (66:1-6).
• Hope and abundance (66:7-14).
• Judgment and hope (66:15-24).

Alec Motyer

1. The final poem of the Anointed Conqueror (63:1-6).
2. The remembrancer's prayer (63:7-64:12).
1. Recollection (63:7-14).
2. Where is the Lord's love? (63:15-16)
3. Why does the Lord remain estranged? (63:17-19)
4. Why has the Lord not acted? (64:1-3)
5. Is there still hope? (64:4-5)
6. Helplessness and hopelessness (64:6-7).
7. The unchanged God (64:8-9)
8. Can love still be withheld? (64:10-12)
3. The Lord's response (65:1-16).
1. The Lord's world-initiative (1)
2. Provocation and penalty (2-7)
3. Blessing for the remnant (8-10)
4. Contrasting destinies (11-16)
4. All things new: 1. The New Creation (17-18a)
5. All things new: 2. The New City and its people (18b-20)
6. All things new: 3. The New Society (21-25)
1. Security of tenure (21-22)
2. Prosperity in blessing (23)
3. Peace with God, universal harmony (24-25)
7. The House and its people: Welcome and refusal (66:1-21)
1. Trembling at Yahweh's Word (1-2)
2. Refusing to listen (3-4)
3. Trembling...or else!... (5-6)
4. Suddenly! Joy for Jerusalem! (7-14)
5. The equally certain doom (15-17)
6. World pilgrimage to Zion (18-21)
8. The House and the cemetery (66:22)

Alan Harman

1. The Day of Vengeance (63:1-6).
2. God the Father and Redeemer (63:7-64:12).
3. A Patient and Compassionate God (65:1-16).
4. The New Heaven and the New Earth (65:17-25).
5. Distinguishing True and False Worshippers (66:1-9).
6. Zion Triumphant (66:10-24).

Derek Kidner

1. The Solitary Avenger (63:1-6).
2. The Crying Needs of Zion (63:7-64:12).
1. God's former mercies (63:7-14).
2. God's forlorn family (63:15-64:12).
3. The Great Divide (65:1-66:24).
1. The owned and the disowned (65:1-16).
2. New heaven and earth (65:17-25).
3. Worshippers, welcome and unwelcome (66:1-5).
4. The last intervention (66:6-17).
5. The nations gathered in (66:18-24).